The Fight to Save Hogwarts
by examplerockersX
Summary: This is the story of what was happening at Hogwarts in the Deathly Hallows, whilst Harry was out searching for Horcruxes. Its told from Neville's point of view and delves furthur into the happenings at the school without focusing too much on Harry. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

As I emerged through the wall at platform 9¾, a strange sensation befell the usual hustle and bustle of the first day of a new school year. Before I had time to take in my surroundings however, I was shoved into the grimy wall by a hooded figure, roughly carrying a screaming woman away from the platform. He pushed her into the wall I had just come through, leaving the platform echoing with eeriness once again. I stooped to pick up my fallen bag and was confronted by a masked figure, 'Name?' he spat at me. I stuttered as I gathered my thoughts together before finally replying, 'Neville Longbottom.' The faceless figure rolled out a large piece of parchment before reaching my name and placing a thick, black cross through it. 'Everything seems to be fine here. Pure blood eh?' the man asked me. I nodded before he stepped aside for me to wheel my trunk onto the main platform.

I dreamily stumbled onto the Hogwarts Express, my luggage in tow, and collapsed into my usual carriage. I sat myself next to the window on the recognisable stiff seats and watched the scene outside unfold. Death Eaters patrolled the platform whilst first years hung onto their mothers. Wanted posters bearing Harry Potter's name plastered the usually empty walls of the station, whilst another muggle born was carted off through the barrier into Kings Cross station. The wizarding world as I once knew it had changed forever. However, before I could completely disappear into my thoughts, the thud of a heavy trunk and slamming of the carriage door disturbed me. It was Seamus. 'Bloody Death eating scumbags!' he exclaimed loudly as he crammed his trunk onto the overhead compartment. 'Little miffed are we Seamus?' I joked.

'Miffed? Livid I am! Tranna tell me that I'm a muggle born they was! Half blood I am, anyway, told 'em were to stuff it dint I. Luckily, they got a little distracted by my latest purchase, Peruvian darkness powder. Amazing it is, Fred and George swear by it! Perfect for distracting enemies, sends a thick, black smog over them. Can't see a bloody thing can they? Anyway that's how I came to be here, how was your journey Neville?'

'Well, it wasn't as showbiz an entrance as yours was!' it was at this point that our fellow Gryffindor and West Ham fan, Dean Thomas walked into the carriage followed by Luna Lovegood, a Ravenclaw. They swiftly took their seats whilst Seamus re-enacted his tale for them. I sat myself in the corner of the carriage and closed my eyes.

The train came to an almighty stop as its metal wheels screeched against the track. I awoke from my slumber with a start as Seamus picked himself up off the floor. 'Merlin's beard! What was that?' He said in alarm as I rushed to the window. 'Someone's coming aboard!' Luna exclaimed as I felt a wave of panic sweep over my friends. The sound of trunks being overturned got closer as murmurs began to echo in the corridor. Just then, the carriage door violently slid open to reveal a mask less Death Eater who I didn't recognise. 'Where is he?' the man spoke in a raspy voice as he threw Dean's trunk, and its contents onto the floor. 'If you mean Harry,' I spoke defiantly, 'then he's not here!' The Death Eater smiled menacingly as he left the carriage. 'Wow Neville! Nicely handled mate, thought I may have had to step in there, but I'll give it to you mate. You had it pretty much sorted,' Seamus said jokingly as I laughed half-heartedly. My legs felt like jelly as I collapsed back into my previous position. All that was on my mind now was the possible feast that might await us at Hogwarts.


	2. Chapter 2

Rain battered the windows as we arrived at Hogwarts. As we had suspected, Death Eaters lined the platform waiting for us. Luna and Dean ran out as fast as possible, leaving me with an even more annoyed Seamus. 'Why is it raining? What have we done to deserve this? Am gonna get wet now, and then am gonna have to sit in that freezing hall whilst we have to suffer Snape gloating about being headmaster. Looks like _I'm _gonna have a cold on Monday!' I shook my head at him as he walked right into a puddle. And I thought _I_ was the clumsy one! You might be thinking about why on earth I hang around with someone who moans as much as my gran! The truth is, he was one of my best mates, and was always guaranteed to make you laugh, whatever situation you may be in. I was awoken from my daydream by Seamus pulling me up into one of the carriages, which would take us to school.

Seamus sulked for the rest of night, including throughout the usual grand feast, which my stomach really appreciated. At the end of the feast, the sound of metal clinking against glass stirred silence throughout the hall. Snape arose from the headmaster's chair and walked, almost serpent like, up to the podium. 'Good evening, and welcome to a new year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,' his voice seemed to be but barely a whisper, as everyone strained to hear his words. 'As you may have already guessed, Hogwarts has changed this year. Lord Voldemort himself has personally appointed me Headmaster of the school, and things therefore shall be run accordingly to his wishes. Your studies shall be focused upon the only magic needed. The Dark Arts. Together, we shall work against the evil forces outside to appease the Dark Lord's wishes of moulding you into future dark wizards. To help you on your way, Professor's Alecto and Amycus Carrow have been appointed head of punishment at the school, and any student who puts as much as a fingernail out of line, shall be punished as seen fit. I do hope we have a very productive year together, and so now I do believe it to be bedtime children. Off you go!' I looked at Seamus who seemed to be stuck in shellshock. I grabbed his arm and carted him up to the Gryffindor common room. We didn't speak until I threw him into an armchair.

'What was THAT about?' I almost shouted. I paced up and down in annoyance as Seamus just stared at me. 'They can't do this, we have to stop them. They're ruining Hogwarts and everything Dumbledore stood for! Dumbledore…that's it! Dumbledore!' Seamus looked at me puzzlingly before finally speaking, 'have you gone mad? The geezer's dead! He won't be helping anyone anymore!'

'No Seamus, don't you see. Dumbledore would never have stood for this, and neither shall Dumbledore's Army!' By this point, an interested crowd had gathered around listening. I felt like a proud Roman Emperor as I stood on a nearby wooden table to speak to my people. 'We can't let them do this. We have to stand up for ourselves. Harry would have never of let this happen, and neither shall we. He may be fighting them out there, but we'll be helping here, on the inside. So who's with me? Who's gonna help me and the rest of the DA to sabotage everything they try and do, no matter what the consequences!' Seamus leapt up in delight and cheered loudly. A thunderous around of applause echoed throughout Gryffindor tower as everyone began to chant my name. It was that same night that plans began to form and people began to assume positions and objectives in order to help bring down Lord Voldemort.


	3. Chapter 3

"First lesson is Muggle Studies with that new Carrow woman," Seamus said as he grimaced at his timetable whilst sat in the great hall. "Why have we got Muggle studies? I never remember picking it!" I asked as I stared at my lesson schedule.

"Its compulsory now Longbottom," a snarling voice spoke to us. I looked up to see Draco Malfoy smiling cruelly down at us, with Pansy Parkinson stood firmly at his side. "Why is it compulsory?" Seamus piped up, and I whipped around to face him, a look of annoyance on my face at the fact he had just given Draco a reason to mock us. Pansy laughed but was soon cut short by Malfoy's silencing hand. "It's compulsory Finnegan for us Pure Bloods to understand the filth that contaminates the wizarding world. I believe your father's one isn't he?" At this, Seamus jumped up, brandishing his fork at a laughing Draco. Dean attempted to pull Seamus back into his seat whilst I suggested we left.

We walked out, Seamus still clutching his fork, which I then managed to wrestle out of his hands. "The slug! Calling my dad like that! You should of let me stab him!" Seamus shouted as we stood in the main courtyard, attempting to calm him down. "You were gonna stab him? With a fork?" Dean said as he slumped on a nearby bench whilst Seamus angrily paced up and down, shouting insults about Draco. It was whilst Seamus was comparing Draco's head to that of a Goblin, that Malfoy emerged from the great hall and strode straight towards us. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Longbottom and his mudblood friend," Draco sneered.

"Halfblood actually!" Seamus spat back.

"Same difference, they're all scum of the earth if you ask me. How is your father anyway Seamus? Still a muggle?" I knew what was going to happen before it even did. It all happened extremely quickly, and before you could say 'Quidditch,' Draco lay in a heap, clutching his bloody nose whilst Seamus nursed his now rather red knuckles. "You're going to pay for that!" Draco threatened before running off to the hospital wing.

"WHAT ON EARTH!" Dean shouted. "Didn't you listen to what Snape said yesterday?"

"Of course he didn't Dean. This is Seamus we are talking about here!" I said.

"Well Malfoy's right Seamus. You are going to pay. He's a prefect for a start, so I don't think that's really gonna help, and also, oh yeh, what does his dad do for a living?" Dean said angrily. "He's a Deatheater Seamus, he works with You Know Who. Did you know that? Or did you fail to listen when they explained that as well?"

"Leave him alone Dean, he did what anyone else would do! You should be thankful that Malfoy didn't find out about your blood status, or that really would be it!" I shouted this time.

"Calm down everyone, I am fine! Look hadn't we better get to Muggle Studies. Don't want to upset the Carrows do we?"

"You already have!" Dean said jokingly.

"Yeh well, what they gonna do eh? I tell you what though. If that Malfoy comes anywhere near me again, he's gonna feel the full force of my right hook! It's famous in Ireland you know? I only tapped him really then. What a weak sod!" We all laughed, and headed up the stone stairs to our first lesson of the year. Muggle Studies.


	4. Chapter 4

I rushed straight to the back four seats and slammed my bag onto the desk, receiving filthy looks off of a Hufflepuff girl. I stuck my tongue out at her whilst she slumped off to the third row. Dean sat down and was joined by Lavender Brown. "Where's Seamus wandered to now?" I asked jokingly as we looked around to see that he had disappeared. "He walked in with us!" Lavender said and shrugged her shoulders. However, before we could give his disappearance another thought, Alecto Carrow started her lesson.

It was hell. Muggle Studies was basically an hour-long lesson about how we should avoid Muggle's at all costs. And heaven forbid if we actually fell in love with one! It was from this hatred of Muggle's however, that a plan began to form in my head. I quickly scribbled a note to Dean and sent it along the row. He looked up from the piece of parchment, smiled and made a thumbs up sign to me. It was while Lavender was reading the note, that the great wooden door to the Classroom slowly slid open. In walked Seamus, his head looking at the floor. The room went silent and everyone stared at him as he muttered his apology and walked, head still pointed to the ground, over to were I was sat. It was only when he sat down that I noticed his injury. A great black bruise had begun to form on his right eye, and Lavender let out a huge gasp, which was quickly hushed by Alecto Carrow. I could feel myself becoming ever more angry as I asked what had happened. "He told them. The slug told, and they hit me. Said I had to take some of my own medicine. I hit Draco, so they hit me," he said, a solemn look upon his face.

"Yeh, but you hit him in the nose, not the eye," Dean said and I looked at him with a disapproving look.

"Tried to dodge it dint I?" Seamus said as I smiled at him before sliding him my note.

"Are there any questions?" Professor Carrow asked as she looked up from her book called 'Muggle's are Monstrosities'. I raised my hand, my heart beating faster than I could ever remember. "Longbottom?" she shouted. I cleared my throat before standing up. "I was just wondering professor. How much Muggle blood do you and your brother have?" I smiled in triumph as her face went white. It was at this that Dean stood up, "Is it true that the Dark Lord is a halfblood, professor?" Her head snapped over to look at Dean; she was still clearly shell-shocked by the questions we had asked. The atmosphere in the room was tense, and as my gran says, you could cut it with a knife. Seamus rose out of his seat, his black eye now visible for everyone to see as he spoke in a clear, strong voice, "I read in the Daily Prophet a few months back, that you are currently dating a Muggle. Joe, I think he was called. Thinking of getting engaged I heard. So let's have a look at the ring then!" A Slytherin boy snorted rather loudly as her face grew purple with rage. She screamed loudly before whipping her wand out of her robes, aiming it straight at Seamus and screeching the word, '_Crucio_'.

He crumpled into a heap on the floor and screamed with immense pain. "STOP IT!" Lavender shouted as she ran over to Seamus' shaking body. "Thought you may have had enough Finnegan with that black eye my brother gave you. Seems not!" she shouted and sent another blast of the Cruciatus curse straight at Seamus who let out another ear piercing scream. Tears were rolling down Lavender's face as Dean attempted to pull her off Seamus and comfort her. All off a sudden however, Alecto Carrow's wand shot straight into the air, dropping to the floor. Seamus stopped screaming and violently shook as a strong Scottish accent boomed across the classroom. "I HOPE THAT'S NOT A STUDENT PROFESSOR CARROW!" It was Professor McGonagall. She stormed over to the back of the classroom to see Seamus slumped on the floor. "Take him to the Hospital Wing Longbottom. It's a miracle he isn't dead!" I picked Seamus up off of the floor and steadied him as I swiftly took him to Madam Pomfrey.


	5. Chapter 5

I sat at the breakfast table the next day, staring at the empty seat that Seamus usually filled. The funny banter in which we usually experienced had disappeared, leaving me to listen to Dean complaining that he couldn't find Lavender anywhere and about how much he liked her. "I'm going seeing Seamus now, you coming?" I cut him short before he could describe to me anymore about how beautiful Lavenders eyes apparently were. " I have to go and get my bag from the common room, I'll meet you up there," Dean said as I stood up to leave.

The corridors seemed unusually empty as I went to the hospital wing. People were usually going to lessons at this time, whilst I had decided to skip Divination. Besides professor Trelawny would never miss us, she's usually to busy predicting everyone's deaths than to realise who's in her class or not.

I arrived at the hospital wing quicker than I had suspected, to find Madam Pomfrey sat at her desk outside."Come to see Mr Finnegan have you Longbottom?" she asked as I nodded. She pointed me in the right direction. Seamus' bed was in the very far corner at the end of the wing, and blue curtains surrounded it so he couldn't be seen. As I approached Seamus' bed, I could hear a faint murmur of a whisper. I came to a standstill just outside of the curtains, as I listened intently the voices sounded familiar. Lavender? She was whispering to Seamus, "I've always liked you, even when I was with Ron, I thought it'd make you jealous. It seemed like you never noticed me but I really like you Seamus, it may even be love you know?" at this I drew back the curtains sharply and stared at a horror struck Lavender. "Please don't tell anyone, Neville, no one was meant to find out" she stammered at me. It was at that point that I heard footsteps behind me and a voice shouted," how is he?" it was Dean. "Ooh what's going on here then?" said Dean jokingly" I thought you loved Divination, favourite lesson isn't it Lavender?"

"Well, yes but … I thought this was a bit more well you know, important" stammered Lavender again.

"Oh, ok no need to get defensive. Anyway has he, well done anything?" said Dean

"No Dean, he's unconscious!" I replied back

"Ah okay …" an awkward silence descended upon the situation, it was only until Seamus let out a small cry that Lavender flew into hysterics over him. I looked at Dean before I decided to leave. It was far too awkward for me to stand. As I left the Hosptial wing, I looked at my watch which unfortunately revealed that I had only missed ten minuets of my most favourite lesson. Yey! I grimaced before deciding to wander up to Divination; after all I didn't want to end up in the bed next to Seamus did I?

The climb up to the Divination tower seemed more tiring than usual as I stopped at the top to catch my breath before ascending the ladders up into the tower. I somehow managed to sneak into the back of the classroom unnoticed as Professor Trelawny was distracted by her crystal ball. I tapped Luna on the sholder before sitting on the cushion next to her. "Has she predicted that I'd turn up to this lesson?" I joked as she dreamily looked up at me before replying, "no she told me I was going to have a horrendous death though." I smiled at her as she carried on. "Im quite looking forward to it. She said a manor of strange creatures would be involved. I bet its Knargles. Always up to no good they are" I didn't have a clue what she was talking about, but I smiled all the same. My gran has always told me to be nice to people, no matter what the mental instability of the person! Luna was different though, she seemed sort of cool.

I watched Luna fascinatingly as she was entranced by Trelawny's lecture. How she managed to stay out of a coma whilst listening to the lesson I'll never know! My mind began to wander back to Seamus in his hospital bed, unknowingly stuck in a love triangle. Poor lad! It was while I was wondering whether to tell Seamus about Lavenders crush, that Professor Trelawny stopped in front of me, forcing me to jump and nearly fall off the cushion I was sat on. Oh how I love Divination!


End file.
